Niblet's 1st Bedtime Story (A McRollREAL World by Mari, Sammy, Ilna)
by ilna
Summary: Steve and Catherine celebrate their anniversary reminiscing about their wedding day.


_**Mari's ANs**_ – _Happy Anniversary Steve and Cath! How the year has flown by! It's always such a joy to co write with you, Sammy and Ilna, and this was no exception. I had so much fun with this one, reminiscing about the wedding of the millennium and celebrating the wonderful future that lies ahead for them. Love you both._

 _REALMcRollers, you make us smile every day. Thank you for the amazing support and love!_

 _ **Sammy's ANs**_ – _Happy Anniversary, Steve and Cath and Happy Almost Anniversary Mari & Ilna. I never could have dreamt when we undertook this project how much fun it would end up being._

 _REAL Worlders—you're the best!_

 **Ilna's ANs** – _Happy Anniversary! It doesn't feel like it's been a year (for Steve and Cath) or almost three years for the REAL World!_

 _Mari and Sammy – Thanks for liking the idea and doing such amazing things with it! And thank you for being such amazing writers and friends. La famiglia!_

 _Readers and REAL McRollers – Thank you for all of your absolutely incredible support! We truly appreciate every review, email, tweet, and Tumblr message. We're so glad you're celebrating Steve and Catherine's anniversary with us!_

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _Niblet's First Bedtime Story (A McRoll in the REAL World Story by Mari, Sammy, and Ilna)_

Though her eyes were closed, Catherine lay awake in bed late that night. She had been shifting positions and trying to sleep for well over an hour, but it seemed every time she was about to drift off, Niblet would wake up ready to play.

Finally, with a quiet resigned sigh, she opened her eyes. Glancing down at her belly beneath the covers, she whispered, "All right, you win, Niblet." With a quick look at a slumbering Steve beside her, she added, "But let's not wake up your daddy, huh?"

Carefully, so as not to disturb him, she pushed herself up and slid out of bed. Stepping almost silently, she left the bedroom. Cammie noticed her go and followed her out and down the stairs.

At the bottom step, Catherine paused, one hand on the bannister, one hand on her belly. "Well, what do you think? Should we do some reading?" She smiled at the kick that seemed to be in response to her question. "I have just the thing."

After a quick trip to the desk in the den and a stop in the kitchen for a bottle of water, she settled herself on the sofa with a small pad of paper. She smiled at Cammie who was watching her intently. She rubbed the dog's head affectionately. "Thanks for coming with me, pretty girl. Why don't you lie down on your bed?"

Seeming to be satisfied that Catherine was staying put, Cammie headed for her bolster bed in the corner of the living room. Catherine smiled as she watched her get comfortable, then returned her attention to the notepad in her hand.

"Okay, Niblet," she said quietly. "You'll never guess what this is …"

Five minutes later, she looked up at Steve's footfalls in the upstairs hall and then he appeared on the stairs, tugging a t-shirt down.

"Hey," he said. "You okay?"

She smiled at him as he descended the steps. "I'm fine. Niblet's feeling very playful so I couldn't sleep. But I didn't want to wake you up."

He joined her on the sofa and placed a gentle hand on her leg. "I appreciate that, but don't worry about me."

"Steve, you have to be back on base at 0600. Go get some sleep."

"And you have to be at work at 0800," he countered. He shook his head. "You're up, I'm up."

She recognized the resolute look on his face and tilted her head, touched at his insistence. Reaching up, she cupped his cheek with her hand and kissed him.

"That's very sweet."

He flashed a quick smile, then nodded at the pad she'd placed on the coffee table when he'd come down the stairs.

"What's that? Another letter to Niblet?"

She smiled. "No, actually."

"Is that the notepad from the Halekulani?" he asked, recognizing the logo on the bottom from the hotel where they'd spent their wedding night.

She nodded. "I started this almost exactly a year ago."

He held her gaze, clearly interested.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and while I was lying there watching you sleep, I kept thinking about all the people who had told me they could hardly remember anything about their wedding day. That so much had happened but it was all a blur." She smiled. "Ours was such an amazing day, and I didn't want to forget anything. So I got up and found a notepad so I could write down everything I remembered."

"I'm surprised I didn't wake up," he said, eyebrows raised.

She smiled. "I was, too, actually." Her eyes twinkled, and she grinned. "You were pretty worn out, Commander."

He returned her grin. "Thanks to you, Lieutenant." He nodded at the notepad. "May I?"

"Of course," she said and watched him pick it up.

He flipped through the writing on multiple pages, surprised. "Cath, you used more than half of this notepad."

"It's a small notepad." She smiled softly. "And turns out it wasn't such a blur for me."

"Wow," he murmured quietly, noting how she seemed to have left spaces as she wrote so the memories could be in order. Some of the lines of writing were closer together than others as she'd squeezed a memory in with a different pen.

"I've added a few things here or there since that day," she said. "Especially when we got the photos and they triggered some more memories."

He glanced up and smiled.

"So since we were up," she continued, running a hand over her belly, "I decided to tell Niblet everything I remember about the day her parents got married."

"Maybe we could go through them together," he offered. "See if I remember anything you didn't or that you weren't there for."

She smiled. "I think that would be a perfect way to spend our anniversary." Her smile grew. "And you should probably grab a pen."

He returned her smile and nodded. "Do you need anything else?" he asked.

She shook her head, and he headed for the dining room. As he reached for the drawer handle of the sideboard to retrieve a pen, he stopped, noticing the cards on top. He lifted card after card and read the messages until he'd seen all twenty nine of them.

 _Lots more years of love and - ahem - fun from the ones who knew it FIRST!_

 _Happy Anniversary! Xoxoxo  
We love you guys, _

_Carrie and John_

 _Happy anniversary to the perfectly matched set._

 _Danny_

 _My dearest Catherine and Steve,_

 _I wish you cento anni (100 years) together._

 _All my love, darlings,_

 _Nonna_

 _HAPPY FIRST ANNIVERSARY!_

 _WE LOVE YOU,_

 _Jenna, Cody, Casey, Dylan, Kaitlyn and_

 _JACOB - the ring guy._

 _Wishing you a bright and beautiful anniversary._

 _All our best,_

 _Boris and Gus_

 _I love you both so much and you're_ _always_ _going to be the most romantic couple_ _ever!_

 _Happy anniversary!_

 _XOXOXOXOXO_

 _Grace_

 _Seeing you both so happy, we couldn't wish anything else for you_

 _except many more years of love._

 _All our love,_

 _Mom and Dad_

 _Happy anniversary, my dears._

 _I wish you many, many more wonderful years together._

 _I am so happy to send your_ _first_ _anniversary $2 bill._

 _Even if you don't need the luck since you have each other._

 _Love,_

 _Grandma Ang_

There were so many beautiful sentiments, he couldn't hold in a smile. "Wow."

"What?" Catherine called from the sofa.

"All these cards," he said, finally opening the drawer and taking out a pen. "I missed them earlier."

She smiled saucily. "Well, you were … otherwise occupied."

He grinned as he retook his seat beside her. "There's so many," he said, nodding back toward the dining room.

She smiled softly, and reached a hand for his. "Really sweet, huh?"

"All those people remembered." He shook his head and she ran a hand across his back, knowing exactly what he was thinking. For a lot of years, the only person commemorating events in his life was her.

"All those people love us." She kissed him softly. "And the fact that so many of them could be with us at our wedding made it even more perfect."

He nodded, kissing her again. "All right, let's do this," he said and moved a throw pillow to the corner of the sofa. Sitting against it, he motioned for her to follow. She sat back against his chest, shifting until she found the best position. He waited until she seemed comfortable. "You good?"

"Yep," she said, her legs stretched in front of her. She rested the notepad on her belly. "And Niblet is definitely still awake, in case you were wondering."

He put a hand to the side of her belly, rubbing gently. "Maybe the bedtime story will put her to sleep."

She smiled. "Speaking of sleep, that's where I started." She tapped the first line of the notepad. " _Waking up together the morning of our wedding,_ " she read.

He kissed her temple. "One of your best ideas," he said. "Bucking tradition and staying together the night before."

"It would have felt wrong not to," she said. "And that way we could have some quiet moments together before we got to the venue and everything started happening fast."

"Some quiet moments and some not so quiet ones," he said, smiling into her hair.

She grinned. "We're pretty good at both." She sighed happily. "I'll never forget the things you said on the beach that morning. And the beautiful sand necklace. That was a perfect gift." She touched the base of her neck. "I kind of wish I was wearing it now."

"Do you want me to get it?" he offered.

"Don't you move, Commander. You're way too comfortable," she said, snuggling back against him.

He smiled, then grew more serious. "I'll never forget what you said, either, Cath. How you followed your heart to me, and how you knew there'd never be a day you didn't love me."

She craned her head so she could kiss him lightly. "I meant it then and I still do."

"I feel the same."

She smiled softly before resting her head back again. They continued down the list, noting their leisurely shared breakfast and the ride to the chapel.

"It was nice to have a couple moments alone before everyone else got there," Catherine admitted. "Just being able to have some time in the bride's room to take it all in. I remember seeing my dress hanging there waiting for me, and thinking about when you proposed, and what you'd said on the beach just a couple hours earlier."

He smiled, curling an arm around her. "Yeah, I uh … I had a similar moment. My tux was hanging there and … I could hear your voice in my head, saying you'd marry me. I was thinking about how there were times I didn't know we'd get to that day … because of me."

She found his hand and squeezed it. "Steve …"

"I know you always say we got here together, and we did … but you were the reason, Cath. You were the driving force."

She looked back at him as he continued.

"The way you believed in me, and in us … you didn't even have to say anything, but it still gave me faith, long before that day. And it's what kept us on our path."

She reached up to cup his cheek with her other hand. He pressed her hand and turned his head to kiss her palm. Intertwining their fingers, he gave hers a quick, meaningful squeeze.

They looked back at her list of memories, talking about family and friends arriving in their respective rooms. They had shared many of the memories after the wedding, but there were also new ones, and now Catherine had Steve write all of his down on her notepad.

"You should have seen Kaitlyn's face when I told her the earrings were hers to keep," Catherine said, smiling at the memory.

He smiled as well, thinking of the young girl who had become so special to them. Her words triggered another memory for him. "Yeah, Jacob's face when he realized it was his initials on the multitool was pretty special."

"I'm so glad Danny got that picture of you with the boys after you were all dressed," she said, glancing over their shoulders to the photo wall where the now framed picture hung.

"That was right after he gave me the cufflinks from you. The compasses." He inhaled a deep breath, running his fingers up and down her arm. "Talk about perfect gifts. I wasn't nervous that day, but seeing those … they settled me somehow." He shook his head slightly. "I don't know how to explain it. I just … I knew without a doubt I was going in the right direction, and with you, I always would be."

She covered her hand with hers and squeezed gently. "I thought they'd be a nice connection between the past and the future."

"They are."

"And so is the sand necklace." She smiled. "I have this image in my head of taking Niblet out to the beach and watching her play in the sand. Right in that spot."

He smiled against her hair. "Yeah, me, too."

They talked about Aunt Deb giving him his grandfather's watch and how it felt to have it in his pocket as a tangible reminder of his family.

"I was so touched she gave me a handkerchief of your grandmother's," Catherine said. "I was so proud to have it. Like you said, it was a way to have a piece of your family with us."

He smiled softly, remembering how she'd showed him the handkerchief she'd placed in la buste to carry. Her initials had been hand-stitched in the corner. ALM. Ann Lucille McGarrett.

"And I was so touched you put it in your butterfly box after the wedding," he said.

"Of course I did. I'll either keep it there to give to Niblet someday, or maybe put it in a memory box." She smiled. "Which she'll also get someday."

He sighed happily. "I like that. That she'll have something of her great-grandmother's."

Catherine smiled. "I'm sure Deb will make sure both she and Joan have plenty. Mary, too."

He nodded and looked back at the notepad. "I remember you telling me about your mom helping you with your dress," he said, spotting a particular memory on the page.

"We didn't plan that. I didn't realize that's something a lot of brides do, have their mothers help. Mom just happened to come in with Joan so I could help convince her to put her shoes on."

He grinned. "Joanie and her shoes. At least she kept her dress on."

Catherine grinned, then her expression softened. "I can see why a lot of brides have their mothers help them. It was a special moment. Seeing her face." She sighed happily. "So many special moments." She pointed to another a little further down. "Mary and I had one shortly before the ceremony."

"Yeah, you told me. I'm really glad." He tightened his arm around her. "Thank you for being there for her, Cath."

She looked back at him. "She's such a wonderful person, and I think she's finally starting to believe that she's just as important to me as she says I am to her."

He smiled softly in response, knowing she meant every word.

"Then, because it's us, we made a deal that I wouldn't bug her about getting married and she wouldn't bug me about having a baby." She chuckled, resting against him again and running a hand over her belly. "Of course we both ended up on those respective paths within the year." She heard felt him grinning against her head. "But it wasn't because we bugged each other about it."

"It wasn't because anyone bugged us about it," he agreed. "It was because the time was right for us." He pressed gently at her belly.

"Exactly." She smiled. "You sound like Grandma Ang," she said, her mind drifting to the special moments she'd shared with her grandmother right before the ceremony.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Steve said. "It's what you always say."

She nodded. "I got it from her. She's always believed things happen when the time is right."

" _Catherine?" came a voice as the door of the bride's room opened._

" _Gram," Catherine said immediately. "Come in. Did you need something?"_

" _Ohh," Ang gasped, seeing Catherine standing in the center of the room in her wedding dress. "Oh, my girl, you look so beautiful!"_

 _Catherine smiled broadly. "Thank you."_

" _Isn't it just the most beautiful dress?" Grace asked, beaming._

" _It is," Ang agreed. "And perfectly Catherine." She smiled softly at her granddaughter._

 _Elizabeth read the look on her mother's face and turned to the other women in the room. "Why don't we go make sure everything is ready?"_

" _Boris said he'd come back to get us when …" Grace began but her voice trailed off as she realized what Elizabeth meant. She smiled. "I mean, that's a great idea. One more check."_

 _Ang smiled gratefully at them as Elizabeth, Grace, Carrie, Kono, and Mary headed out the door._

" _We'll be back in a minute," Elizabeth said before closing it behind them._

 _Catherine looked at her grandmother who took her hands. "My girl," she said quietly, still smiling softly. "I'm so happy I could be here with you. And to see this wonderful day."_

" _Me, too, Gram," Catherine said, tears in her eyes._

" _I never worried, you know," Ang continued. "About you and Steve. You were on your own path and you did things in your own time."_

 _Catherine nodded. "You always say things happen when the time is right."_

" _I truly believe that." She smiled. "And you know I believe in luck, but I've never thought of you and Steve as lucky."_

 _Catherine tilted her head questioningly._

" _You two are just meant to be," Ang continued, squeezing her hands. "I felt that way about Rocks. And when Elizabeth met Joseph. And I felt it again when you introduced us to Steve. But I knew you two would do things in your own time. The way that was right for you. And you have."_

 _Catherine hugged her, teary-eyed. "Thanks, Gram." She pulled back to look at her, holding her gaze. "You know you're one of the most important people in my life, right? You always have been. And I've always taken what you've said to heart. Especially that. That things happen when the time is right."_

 _Ang clasped her arms. "I know, my girl."_

" _I love you," Catherine said, hugging her again._

" _I love you back."_

Steve smiled, his arm tightening around Catherine again briefly. "I'm glad you had that time alone with her before the ceremony."

"Me, too," she agreed. She sighed happily, looking at the notepad again. "And I'm glad I realized at that last possible second that I wanted both my parents to walk me down the aisle. Honestly, I can't believe I didn't think of it before then."

He nodded. "I wasn't surprised at all when I saw you come out. It seemed … right."

She grinned, glancing back at him. "You mean you actually noticed?" she teased.

"Of course I noticed," he said, grinning back. "I just wasn't … focused on them."

"Because it looked to me like you forgot to breathe for a minute there."

He laughed, then exhaled a long breath, shaking his head slowly. "It was finally happening. Really happening."

She smiled softly. "That's the look."

"Hmm?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

She flipped the page in the notebook and read, " _The look in Steve's eyes while I was walking down the aisle. He had the same look while we said our vows."_ She looked back at him. "You had this look of wonder and gratitude and … and love." She smiled. "Kinda took my breath away, too."

"That's exactly what it was," he said quietly, kissing her again. "And I was so focused on you during the ceremony that I remember it was a little jarring for a minute when people started joining us in the back of the chapel." He smiled softly. "Good … but jarring."

Catherine sighed. "It was as if for just a few minutes we were in a little cocoon, just the two of us."

He kissed her temple. "I really liked that cocoon."

"Me, too."

"Then our friends and family made it to the back of the chapel and they were so happy for us and there was so much love it was … " His voice trailed off.

"Worth coming out of the cocoon for," she finished his thought.

"Definitely." He rested his hand lightly on her thigh. "And speaking of cocoons, I can't believe your dad managed to keep that butterfly release a secret from everyone."

Catherine beamed as she did every time she remembered that moment. "That was amazing."

"A fitting tribute for his little butterfly." Steve's hand went reflexively to Catherine's belly. Soon their own little butterfly would be emerging and he hoped more than anything that he could be half as good a father as Joseph was.

"I'm so glad the photographer got some pictures of the butterflies while they were still in the area," she said.

Those were a surprise to Catherine when they arrived since she wasn't aware the photographer would be taking any candid shots.

"I think Boris might have had a little something to do with that." Steve's eyes sparkled. "He was the only one your dad let in on the surprise. He must have clued in the photographer."

"That guy was great," Catherine replied. "I'm so glad Boris recommended him."

"That picture he caught of you and Joanie, where she was so happy at the idea of getting a snack she leaned in and kissed you, is one of my favorite pictures ever." Steve grinned.

Catherine remembered his insistence that the picture have a special place on the photo wall. "That's very sweet."

"Of course that same sweet, cherubic face also made an announcement about your 'pwetty undies'," Steve teased.

"Thank heavens that was just in front of Danny, Mary and you," Catherine said, chuckling.

"And your mom," Steve reminded her. He grinned. "Though in Joanie's defense, I can confirm those were some _vewy_ pwetty undies."

"I remember thinking I'd wear them again on our first anniversary but that's clearly not gonna happen."

"Next year," he whispered softly in her ear.

She turned her head and kissed him softly on the lips. "It's a date."

Steve continued to read her notes. He laughed out loud when he got to an entry that read _'I'm not sure anyone has ever loved any material thing as much as Jacob loved the cookie table.'_

"Jacob and the cookie table," he said, shaking his head. "Maybe all that sugar contributed to the little moment when he insisted I had to be the one to take him to the bathroom."

"What happened?" Catherine asked. "I don't think I ever heard that story."

"I can't believe I forgot to tell you," he answered. "I was headed to the bar to get Grandma Ang and Nonna more club soda when I saw Jacob giving Cody a little bit of a hard time. Turns out he had to go to the bathroom but he wanted me to take him, not Cody. He wasn't throwing a tantrum but it was the closest I've ever seen him get."

"Poor thing," Catherine said sympathetically. "There were so many people around he was probably feeling a little overwhelmed. And maybe even a little jealous of all the other people getting your attention even if he didn't realize that's what he was feeling."

Steve nodded. "I kinda figured that might be the problem," he said. "So I took his hand and after we went to the bathroom we sat down at a quiet table for a few minutes and I thanked him again for doing such a good job as ring guy and we made plans to get together the following week. That seemed to do the trick and he was back to his usual happy self."

She smiled, knowing this was an example of the care he showed children, even when he didn't quite know it himself.

"He's a great kid." Catherine smiled. "They all are."

"That's for sure."

Catherine readjusted her position. "Did I ever tell you that Jenna and I overheard Kaitlyn and some of the other younger girls talking about how one day they'd have fairytale weddings too?"

"No."

"There were lots of ponies involved." Catherine chuckled. "And lots of pink and lots and _lots_ of glitter."

He nodded, chuckling as well. "Sounds about right."

"Jenna said there was a time she was worried her kids might not ever believe in true love because of everything that happened with Jason." Catherine swiped at a stray tear on her cheek. "She thanked us for giving that back to them."

Steve tightened his arms around her and they sat quietly for a minute. There were no words to express how touched they were to know they could have such an impact on the children they'd come to love so much.

Catherine took a deep breath. "My hormones must be making me weepy. I teared up earlier telling Niblet about the reception toasts."

"You mean how Carrie couldn't resist saying she knew we were in love even before we did?" Steve teased.

Catherine chuckled. "I have a feeling that'll be a story Niblet knows very well. At least if Aunt Carrie has anything to say about it."

"Gracie was amazing, up in front of all those people," Steve said proudly.

"Yes, she was," Catherine agreed. "Completely charmed them all."

"That's our girl. She totally held her own with Danny's toast, and your dad's, and those were both very impressive."

"Yes, they were." Catherine sighed happily. "I thought they were probably going to be the most emotional part of the night and then the dancing started."

" ' _Come rain or come shine,'_ " he crooned softly in her ear.

"Did Carrie ever tell you she caught both John and Bill wiping away tears during our first dance?"

"No." He leaned his cheek against her hair. "But I'm pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the house when you were dancing with your dad."

"Mine certainly weren't," she admitted. She sighed happily. "That dance almost didn't happen." She intertwined their fingers as her eyes were drawn to her next entry.

She read aloud, _"I almost waived the parent dances, but Steve insisted I had to dance with Dad. He was right. And seeing him ask for the dance with Mom, I'll never forget the look on her face as long as I live. Or on his."_

She squeezed his fingers. "I didn't want to leave a void, and I knew Dad would understand."

Steve shook his head. "I'd never let you miss out on your wedding dance with your father." He glanced at her belly, and a whole different level of understanding flashed in his eyes. "Or deny Joseph that moment with you."

She nodded and swallowed hard. "Seeing Mom's face when you asked her…"

"And seeing yours was ... " His words were lost when she kissed him softly and rested back against him.

"I felt like in a way a circle was closing." Catherine struggled to put her feelings into words. "You've been like a real son to my folks for so long, and they love you just like I know you love them, but seeing the two of you on the dance floor, sharing an intimate conversation, so comfortable together, looking for all the world like a true mother and son, it felt like the culmination of a lot of years of trust building."

"It really did," Steve agreed around the lump that had formed in his throat.

Catherine sighed. "It's one of my happiest memories of the whole day."

"Mine too," he whispered. "Unlike the whole Prince Smooth Dog thing Cuzzi tried to get going," he said in an effort to lighten the mood before they both ended up in tears. He had to head back to base in a matter of hours and he preferred they both be smiling when he had to leave. "He's lucky the girls seem to have forgotten it."

Catherine reached back and laid her hand on his cheek. "You'll always be my Prince Smooth Dog."

He grinned. "You're the only one allowed to call me that."

Catherine's eyes continued to scan the page. "I couldn't believe the bridal party all went together and booked us the Orchid Suite at the Halekulani. That was amazing."

"It was very generous of them." Steve smiled. "We have great friends."

"Carrie predicted we'd be staying in Hawaii." Catherine's laugh turned into a yawn. "She knows us so well."

"Better than pretty much anybody," Steve agreed.

"Just the thought of getting you alone in that suite was what made me drag you off for a few minutes."

He smirked. "I just want to reiterate for the record that I was completely in favor of testing out just how sound proof that room was."

"I know you were," she grinned, "but it's a good thing we didn't because Grace was waiting for her chance to dance with you and Danny."

"That was … I couldn't believe she picked that song for us to dance to." Steve's voice was packed with emotion.

"You'll always be her hero." Catherine smiled softly. "You and Danny both."

"She's growing up," Steve said, his voice a mixture of pride and dread.

Catherine patted his arm with a smile. "It happens to all of us."

"I guess so," he huffed.

Catherine rubbed at her eyes, this time out of fatigue.

" _Nonna said Kaitlyn looked like an angel dancing with her grandsons,_ " she read and smiled.

"Gracie had to talk her into dancing with us," Steve remembered. "She said, 'Just follow Uncle Steve's steps and you'll do totally fine. I'll be right there watching.' And it worked because Kaitlyn did great."

"While Grace and I were watching she teared up a little and I wasn't exactly sure why so I just gave her a hug and waited until she was ready to talk," Catherine said. "I'll never forget what she told me."

"What'd she say?" Steve asked.

"That she remembered dancing with Danny from when she was so little he'd dance around the living room with her in his arms." She took a breath, and shifted to get more comfortable against Steve. "She knows Kaitlyn will never have that moment with her own dad so Grace wanted her to have it with you and Danny."

"She's an amazing kid, and that's a great memory." He placed a hand over Catherine's where it rested on her belly. "We'll dance, Niblet, I promise."

Catherine smiled softly at the absolute sincerity in his tone and squeezed his fingers. "Pairing Kaitlyn with Danny, and by extension Grace, at the first Shop with a Cop we did was brilliant. Remind me to tell you about how she had him wrapped around her little finger all weekend while we were camping."

He grinned. "I can't wait to hear."

"I can say from experience how much it means to a little girl to have a father, or at least a father figure, in her life. We were standing at the edge of the dance floor at the reception and Grace said some of her best memories were dancing with Danny. On his feet like Dad and I did, at the Bon Jovi concert, at a cousin's wedding right before they moved to the island."

Catherine's voice dropped in volume and Steve pushed her hair aside to kiss her temple. "Go on." He knew her so well.

"She said the day you danced with her at La Mer on her birthday was another of her favorite, special memories."

Steve's voice broke. "That's… she's the best."

"She's so happy Kaitlyn has wonderful memories from the wedding and she's gained so much confidence." Catherine couldn't hide the pride in her voice at the fact that Grace had grown into a young woman with such a kind heart.

"More every day," Steve beamed, thinking of the strides Kaitlyn had made in the time they'd known her.

"Know what else Grace said at the reception?" Catherine asked, glancing back at him.

"Hmm?" Steve replied as he noticed her eyelids getting heavier.

"She thinks a lot of her own confidence and self-esteem comes from having a dad who'd do anything to be with her, who believes she can do anything and makes her believe it too."

"Danny's an incredible dad," he said. "I hope I'm half as good."

"Well, our niece also told me her Uncle Steve's confidence in her and approval meant the world to her at Kaitlyn's age …" she reached up to kiss him gently, "and they mean even more now."

"She said that?"

"She absolutely did. You're going to be the best dad…" she said with complete confidence and his heart was full as she patted her belly. "You already are."

"Thank you." He kissed her softly. "That night at the Halekulani could you have ever imagined this is where we'd be on our first anniversary?"

"Never," she grinned sleepily, "but that's half the fun of our relationship. We never know exactly where the path is going to take us."

She settled back against him and they sat quietly reflecting on not only the day of their wedding but all the events of the last year until Steve noticed Catherine had finally fallen asleep.

He kissed her temple gently.

"Happy anniversary, Cath." He rested his hand on her belly where Niblet, too, seemed to have gone to sleep. "And next year, Niblet, we'll tell you all about it in person …"

His voice faded and he smiled as he drifted off contentedly, exactly where he wanted to be.

 **THE END**

* * *

 _ **We'd love to hear your favorite memories from the wedding day, REAL McRollers!** _

_Post them in a review, send them by email to_ _realmcroll at yahoo dot com, put them on our Tumblr page (_ _mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com), or tweet them to Mari_ _at Mari21763 and add #REALMcRoller_


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